Friday, August 2, 2013

Benin Republic clocks 53

As Benin
Republic clocks 53: 6.5m Nigerians live in former Dahomey, 200 in jail but Amb
Obisakin says ‘Nigeria is a power here’

By MAURICE ARCHIBONG

On
1 August, 53 years ago; then Dahomey, today’s Republique du Benin
(Republic of Benin) attained independence from France. At the political level,
Benin has recorded enviable strides; for, it was one of the first post-colonial
African nations to jettison military dictatorship/autocracy for democratic
rule.

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan GCFR during his visit to Cotonou on 31 December, 2010.PHOTO: MAURICE ARCHIBONG. All Rights Reserved.

Moreover,
Benin Republic must be an icon of pride for the entire black race because an
African traditional religion, Vothoun aka Voodoo, is State
Religion in this country of barely 10 million inhabitants. Interestingly, 10
January is an annual National Holiday in honour of Vothoun in these climes.

On
this public holiday, countless foreign tourists could be seen savouring the
charms of Vodounsi as well as the sights and sounds of Vodouno
(adherents) on street procession in many a local settlement. Wow! You should
come to Ouidah or Cotonou next 10th of January! Believe it or not,
when it comes to commonsense, size counts for little. Welcome to the small, yet
great nation called Benin.

6.5m Nigerians
in Benin

Did
you know that Nigerians and people of Nigerian ancestry account for more than 6
million, of the barely 10 million population of Benin Republic? According to
President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s envoy to Cotonou, Ambassador Lawrence
Olufemi Obisakin, this revelation came from no-less a personality than
President of Benin Republic, Dr Thomas Boni Yayi.

Speaking
during an exclusive chat with mauricearchibongtravels at the
Residence of the Nigerian Ambassador in Cotonou, Amb Obisakin, further revealed
that about 200 Nigerians were in different prisons across that neighbouring
country. Although some of these inmates are convicts, many others are in
detention awaiting trial.

Painfully,
akin to the situation in Nigeria, many of those undergoing trial have been in
detention for a long, long time. Expatiating, the Nigerian ambassador added
that, officials of his mission had toured some of the jailhouses and he was
also planning to personally visit these inmates to see things for himself.

“Some
of them may have issues that need looking into and a few days ago, we
facilitated the release of a Nigerian woman that had been in incarceration for
some time. We don’t just want to see the inmates, we have made requests for a
list of all Nigerians in prison in this country, their personal data and the
offences they allegedly commited. With that, it would be easier to tell, whose
case needs to be reviewed. Thus far, we are yet to be furnished with this list.
However, we are not giving up on this issue”, Amb Obisakin stressed.

One
of the 16 countries of West Africa, Benin is a strategic gateway to the
sub-region and is important, among others, because countless Nigerians daily
commute between their country’s western frontiers and places as far away as
Senegal. Benin is also an important trading partner of Nigeria, even though the
bulk of the commercial activities is informal and, therefore, goes largely
undocumented.

Porous border
and national security

Porous
border and improper documentation of business transactions between Beninese and
Nigerian merchants could be exploitated by money launderers as well as drug and
weapons traffickers, with consequent unpalatable impact on the security of
either nation. What is Obisakin’s take on this? “You may not be wrong. It’s one
of the challenges and it is being tackled. But, it is principally a political
issue. And, the border is important here.

“Proper
management of the border is crucial, especially Seme Border. Once the
construction is completed and the people supposed to be there, are there; then
we would begin to address the security issue. There are two major groups you
need at the border: Immigration and Customs. These are the people we really
need. The others could be in the background. And, I’m glad to hear that the Minister
Coordinating the Economy, Prof Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has said that she has
started implementing that at Murtala Mohammed International Airport.

“As
Pareto would say, ‘Once you resolve 20 per cent of the major problems, then 80
per cent of the minor ones could be considered solved. So, the 20-80 principle
will apply, here”, Obisakin mused.

The
equivalent of billions of dollars exchange hands annually through Nigerian
importers and other merchants that use Cotonou’s Port Autonome. The bulk of
goods imported through Port of Cotonou includes cars and edibles, such as rice,
wines, spirits, poultry and vegetable oil. Other items are engine oil and used
clothing alias okrika, like footwear, shirts, trousers, skirts, blouses and
even underwear.

As
a result, Cotonou Port has morphed into one of the busiest wharves in West
Africa. As artery in and out of Nigeria, Benin Republic is also a factor in our
nation’s security. Over the last three decades, Benin Republic has been
attracting countless Nigerian merchants who flock the neighbouring country
either as importers, clearing agents, traders or smugglers.

Cotonou, now
academic Mecca for Nigerians

In
the last 10 years, however, Benin has also evolved into an academic haven for
thousands of Nigerian youngsters desparate for university admission. Such is
the influx of our compatriots in Benin Republic that during a lecture on
Conflict Management at Houdegbe North American University Benin (HNAUB), one of
the many private universities in Cotonou, all the 28 students in that class
were Nigerians!

This
is no exaggeration. The lecturer happened to be the Nigerian Ambassador to
Benin Republic, Dr Obisakin. Obisakin, who holds a PhD in Conflict Management,
taught gratis for one semester at HNAUB. That stint, which had the blessing of
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) was practical demonstration of
Obisakin’s desire to impart knowledge.

The
top-flight diplomat also disclosed that some 8,000 Nigerians are currently
enrolled at HNAUB. About 5,000 of these students are on-campus, while the
remaining 3,000 are correspondence students. “In fact, we believe that as many
as 90 per cent of students at Houdegbe University could be Nigerians”, Amb
Obisakin declared.

With
over 20 private universities in Cotonou, the plenitude of Nigerians studying at
HNAUB alone offers an insight into the plethora of Nigerian youngsters in
Benin. But, there are worries: Are they enrolled at approved schools, and do
the universities have accreditation for the courses they run?

As
regards revelations that a number of Nigerians had actually spent tons of money
and years of studying at Beninese universities only to discover on returning
home after graduation that their degree was worthless; Obisakin revealed
that,finally; his mission has
successfully drawn up a list of approved universities in Benin Republic.

There
are 21 universities in that neighbouring country, where Nigerians seeking
admission could apply, he said. The list was arrived at after meticulous study
by Nigerian Embassy in Cotonou working in collaboration with Beninese Ministry
of Tertiary Education, Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Education and other
stakeholders, we gathered.

Nigeria is a
power here

Although
he arrived in Benin Republic’s economic capital, Cotonou, on 9 July, 2012; to
assume duty as President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s envoy to that country, Amb
Obisakin got official endorsement of the host head of state about a month
later.

Interestingly,
even when he had not yet sealed protocol formalities by 1 August, 2012;
Obisakin was invited to the Beninese State House to partake in the celebration
of that country’s 52nd independence anniversary. He put his
invitation down to the special relationship between Benin Republic and Nigeria.
“O, They were very kind to me”, he enthused.

According
to Obisakin, the special ties between the two West African neighbours explains
why the protocol of not having yet presented his Letter of Credence was waived
as regards his invitation to Benin State House for the 1 August, 2012 national
day felicitations.

Twelves
months ago, on 6 August, 2012; Obisakin was at the Beninese State House, where
he presented his Letter of Credence to President Boni Yayi. Therefore, on 6 August,
2013; Obisakin will clock a year as Nigerian Ambassador to Benin Republic.

“A
lot has been achieved in the last one year. But, first of all; I must thank you
Maurice Archibong for your keen interest in our work”, Amb Obisakin remarked.
Back to what has been achieved over the last 12 months, Obisakin continued: “If
you ask any Nigerian living in Benin Republic, they will tell you that they are
seeing a better life. In fact, the watershed was in February, this year. On 19 February,
2013; we were at Benin State House from 9am till 5pm in a meeting with His
Excellency, President Boni Yayi”.

Obisakin
recalled that the Beninese president had “summoned all his Service Chiefs,
including Chief of the Forest Department, to that meeting with me. At the
meeting, HE Dr Thomas Boni Yayi gave them (Benin Service Chiefs) some orders.
One, that nobody must maltreat any Nigerian on this territory, any more.

“Number
two: President Boni Yayi also directed that, if the most respected citizens
were the French and the Americans, all citizens of Benin should give double the
respect that they grant to the Americans and the French to Nigerian citizens.
And, he gave reasons …

“Number
one: Nigeria is the biggest partner of Benin Republic. Number two: we are one
actually. We share seven common indigenous languages with them. We share 778km
border with them. We have been one from pre-colonial times. Don’t forget that
the Oyo Empire was here and that the Borgu Empire also was here. So, Nigeria
was a power here in the past. And, we are still a power, commercially”.

Obisakin
added that another achievement of his administration as Nigerian Ambassador to
Cotonou could be found in the existence of a new international market at
Seme-Krake. At some point, Nigerian traders were going to have problems but we
were there for them. We stood by them and now, the market near Seme-Krake
border is running. Seme-Krake border is the busiest of all the land borders in
Nigeria. It is also the land border that yields the greatest revenue.

“Apart
from that, Nigeria is clearly visible now across Benin although I would have
loved to have some concrete architectural edifice here because we have more
competitors now. No doubt. China is here … and that is the reality. We are
immediate neighbours: that is what is special about Nigeria and Benin
Republic”.

When
taken up on his idea of a Nigerian architectural icon in Benin, this is what
Amb Obisakin had to say: “I have always had this dream. There should be a
Nigerian Cultural Centre here. We are a power, here. There’s no doubt about
it”. When we put it to His Excellency that, given his vantage position to start
the process of establishing a Nigerian Cultural Centre in Benin Republic, what
has he done about it; Amb Obisakin replied: “Well, we are starting. But, you
will agree that some of these things cannot be achieved over-night. We are just
praying that it will be accepted by the leadership and relevant authorities.
But, I know that with time, this will surely come.

“That’s
my dream: for Nigeria to have an educational-cum-research centre, here. There’s
yearning for it. The people need it. We have initiated the process by putting
in some memos and NOUN (National Open University of Nigeria) is coming. People
are yearning for education, here. Don’t forget, this is where you have the
highest concentration of Nigerians outside home. There are 6.5 million
Nigerians here”!

As
to how he came by such a staggering figure, Amb Obisakin’s response was: “The
President of Benin Republic, HE Dr Thomas Boni Yayi, said so. He said that
about 65 per cent of the inhabitants of Benin Republic are Nigerians or Nigerian-related”.

The
enviable affinity between Benin and Nigeria, Amb Obisakin intoned, has fostered
formalisation of virtually all types of useful bilateral ties, one could think
of. Obisakin again: “Remember, we’ve been together long before we got independence.
But, let me use my own experience as an example. Nigeria and Benin have a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the exchange of teachers and lecturers”.

With
regard to the year that pact was entered into, Obisakin said it was a long time
ago. This ambassador, who was admitted to University of Ife in 1975, was
beneficiary of this academic exchange treaty. That is how Obisakin came to have
a Beninese, Prof Ige Akanni Mahmoud, among his lecturers at Ife, those days.
Evidently, that MoU, he noted must have been signed more than 35 years, ago.

Nonetheless,
it must be pointed out, that the much-vaunted bond between Benin and Nigeria is
not bereft of challenges. We also took Nigeria’s Number One citizen in Benin on
this point. “The only challenge we have, and thank God it is being resolved by
our President, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan GCFR, who is interested in the very
good and warm relation we have with this country, is that; in 2009, a meeting
of the Benin-Nigeria Joint Commission had to end abruptly as a result of some
border and boundary issues. But, now; we are meeting again.

“Remember,
that our presidents have been meeting. The President of Benin, Dr Boni Yayi, is
about the only foreign president that spends his vacation in Nigeria. In
September, last year; he was in Nigeria for one week; from the 19th
to the 26th on national vacation”.

Rules must be
obeyed: Nobody should leave Nigeria without travel papers

Obisakin
however warned that the propinquity between Benin and Nigeria is not an excuse
for anyone to disobey necessary rules. “Nigerians”, he stressed, “must realise
that, though Benin may be close and they may share the same language with some
Beninese, Benin Republic is, albeit, another country. Only yesterday (27 July,
2013), some people came; about 20, and they had not a single passport on them.
Yet, they want to cross the border. And, not only that; they planned to go
farther beyond Benin.

“I
want Nigerians to know that, it is true that ECOWAS links us and there’s free
movement of persons, goods and services; but, you must have a valid Nigerian
passport to cross the Nigerian border. Nobody should leave his country into
another without necessary documents. Nigerians need to know this because it
will save us a lot of distraction. We have so much to do.

“There
are many opportunities that we need to explore. For example, can you believe
that people here have links with Belgium? Can’t we have a facility here to
airlift such tourists to Obudu in Nigeria by helicopter, when they are through
with their visit here? So, we don’t want distraction because every time you
send an officer out, to go and bail someone, another duty suffers”, Obisakin
stressed.

Nigerians
crossing the border with firearms is another source of worry for Ambassador
Obisakin. “You can’t do that … You are indirectly declaring war, the moment you
cross into another man’s land with firearms without approval”, he charged.

Have
we had such incidents? “O, I thank God that one of the things we have succeeded
in drumming into Nigerians is that those that have authority to bear arms, now
know that; that authorisation only covers Nigerian territory. It does not cover
another person’s territory”, Obisakin remarked.

The weal
outweighs the woes

In
spite of all the challenges thrown at the Amb Obisakin-led Nigerian Embassy in
Cotonou, the envoy reasoned: “Yes, there are challenges. But, considering the
large body of Nigerians in this country, things could have been worse. In other
words, out of every twelve, there must be a Judas. Even Jesus Christ had a
Judas. So, a very tiny fraction of our population here present challenges and I
have to thank God for the people I have here.

“Apart
from the capable hands at the mission, there are a lot of Nigerian
personalities in Benin. Most Nigerians in this country are noted for doing
their duty well. For example, those in Kandi: During my visit there, the Mayor
told me he thanks God for having Nigerians in their midst. Not only do
Nigerians living in Kandi pay their taxes promptly, they sometimes pay ahead of
time. I’m proud of Nigerians and I can tell you that others are proud of us,
too”; Obisakin concluded.

About Me

Author of 'Museums in Nigeria & Other Lands' as well as Nigeria's 'Culture & Tradition Reporter of the Year'in 2011; Maurice Archibong has been running the 'Travels' column in 'Daily Sun' since July 2003. He had earlier won the Nigerian Media Merit Award for 'Travel & Tourism Reporter of the Year' in 2001, 2002 & 2004. Aside wining that award thrice in four consecutive years, Archibong was in 2004 also winner of 'Newspaper Features Writer of the Year'. Apart from these, he has other awards in his kitty.
In the late 1990s, Maurice Archibong served creditably as Art, Culture & Entertainment Editor of Sunday Times. He also edited, at various times, the Arts and Review pages of Thisday and National Interest newspapers.
With over 20 years working on Culture and Tourism, he stands on a solid platform of experience.

Omodele Ayo Audifferen 1964-2011 R.I.P

The young Audifferen family in 1965, whilest resident at 1 Odo Ogun Close; six years before the father left home. L-R: Margaret Ekanem Audifferen, Juyin Audifferen, Dayo Audifferen, Eng. Solomon Bankole Audifferen and Omodele (on her daddy's knee).